Kisses from Roses
by Katnibellamione
Summary: Hey everyone! This is my third channel, and it should be quite small. For more great fanfics, check out my large channel, WizMonCruWil, or my medium one, ClintonBush43Obama. This records all the kisses I have ever experienced. Last names have been eliminated and some locations have been kept vague to protect identities. Enjoy!
1. April 2nd, 2009: Hannah

**April 2** **nd** **, 2009: Hannah**

PLACE: Apex, North Carolina

TIME: Thursday, 04/02/2009, 3:10 PM

KISSER: Matthew, aged 14

RECIPIENT: Hannah, aged 11

It was the end of another quiet day at my middle school. I was in my Yearbook elective class, anxiously looking at the clock.

Hannah was two years younger than me. I was in 8th grade, and she was in 6th. We shared a carpool together. I had had a crush on her for a while and wanted to tell her how I felt. Today, I was sure I could.

At exactly 3:00, the bell rang. I grabbed my stuff and bolted for the door. I could see Hannah coming towards me in the swarm of students. I approached her.

"Hey Hannah," I asked casually. "Can I talk to you in private?"

Hannah agreed. I turned and went back up the hallway, the way she had come. I knew where to go. In another part of the school was a stairwell that was hardly used, not even by the 4th and 5th graders that studied in that hallway. The reason was that it was not the quickest route to the front doors of the school. The other stairwell was. I had staked it out over the last several days, and had concluded it would be the perfect place for privacy.

I entered the stairwell, Hannah right behind me. I did a final sweep as the door shut behind us. The area was deserted. We were alone. I turned back to Hannah.

"Close your eyes," I instructed. Hannah obeyed. It was a move I had conceived very early in my plan. Hannah would not see me coming, and I would have the element of surprise on my side.

I did one final check of the stairwell. All was quiet. There was a huge adrenaline rush within me. I gathered the last of my courage. Cupping her face in my hands, I leaned forward and kissed Hannah Perez full on the mouth.

To this day, I still remember faintly what the kiss tasted like. Her mouth was smooth and moist, yet warm. Her skin smelled sweet. Flush with my victory, I kept us pressed together a moment more before retreating back. I had done a very brave thing; I knew it. I smiled in triumph. Unfortunately, that smile quickly melted away.

It was not that we had been unexpectedly been caught. Oh no, we were still very much alone. My choice of location had been impeccable. What was not was Hannah's reaction. She had not resisted; she couldn't have, she had not seen my kiss coming. But, now that we had both experienced it…. Never will I forget the look on her face. She looked stunned, as if someone had hit her in the back of the head with a baseball bat.

All at once, my face felt very hot. I said something stupid like "April Fool's" even though that had been the day before. I bolted down the stairs and out the back door, heading for home, uneasy.

* * *

It was hard to concentrate on my homework that night. Luckily, there was only one assignment, and I finished it quickly and got to bed early. Later that night, Mom shook me awake. Already fearing the worst, I stumbled bleary-eyed out of bed.

Hannah had told her parents about the kiss. Naturally, she had been upset, so they had called. We were close, our familes; good friends. But, I still feared an explosive wrath. Her parents were as understanding as they could be in this circumstance, but I still was thoroughly embarrassed. I was able to apologize to everyone over the phone, Hannah included. Then, after a long conversation with my parents, I went back to bed. As the door closed behind me, I heard my mother say, "I don't think anything will be the same with them."

For a time, Mom was right. Things were not the same. The carpool was disbanded for the remainder of the year. Hannah and I avoided each other and never spoke. For about a year, it went on like this. I moved on to high school, so Hannah and I were separated now.

Soon, however, Hannah and her family came around. They seemed to forgive me, and by the time I was halfway through high school, we were talking and friendly again as if the kiss had never happened.

I was glad I now knew what kissing was like. Still, the experience had left me somewhat traumatized, and my confidence was shaken. Given that, I figured it would be a long time before I kissed another girl.


	2. July 1st, 2014: Alyssa

**July 1** **st** **, 2014: Alyssa**

PLACE: Raleigh, North Carolina

TIME: Tuesday, 07/01/2014, 6:50 PM

KISSER: Matthew, aged 19

RECIPIENT: Alyssa, aged 20

In fact, it would be a very long time before I kissed another girl. But, the wait would certainly be worth it, as I would come to find out.

Alyssa was my co-star in a production called _Little Things_. It was a scene about a married couple being put on by a small theatre company. Our scene was one of 10 being put on by this fairly new theater company as part of a Triangulate showcase, to be held in August at a more established theatre. Our director, Nicola, had asked us at one of our first meetings if we would be comfortable with kissing, as we were supposed to be married. Both of us had been responded in the affirmative.

More than 5 years had passed since I had stolen a kiss from Hannah in a deserted stairwell. I had grown from an impulsive 8th grader into a much wiser rising college sophomore. I was exhilarated by the prospect of kissing another girl, even it was just a stage kiss. (I had had to do a stage kiss before, as part of a summer camp production of _All Shook Up_. The reason it is not listed here is that it was ultimately entirely faked, because the girl two years my senior got cold feet).

That evening, Nicola told us to take it from the top. We opened with Alyssa and myself in a double bed. I delivered my first line, excited. She gave her first line. I leaned toward her….

And she turned away. Interestingly, it made perfect sense in the context of the scene. I should have been smarter. My expectations were high if I thought that we would be kissing for real at only our third rehearsal. Then again, I had figured that the sooner we started the kissing in the rehearsal process, the easier and more natural it would be by the time we reached tech and then the performances.

Alyssa had set the tone for this rehearsal. But, I still wanted to know what it was like. I decided to be patient. Throughout our rehearsing, I was affectionate toward her in other ways, so that we would grow more comfortable with each other. She seemed to appreciate that. And, yes, I got my kiss!

During our second run-through, I began the third scene. The blocking called for me to kiss Alyssa and say, "Good to see you too." Alyssa was seated at what was supposed to be our kitchen table. I began the scene by walking over to her. I planted one on her cheek, then delivered the line before giving her another one on the nose. I continued on with our dialogue before Nicola asked us to stop. I had failed to realize that my back had been turned to the audience during the entire opening exchange. I asked to start the scene again from the top. We restored quickly.

This time, I walked around the table so the audience could see me. Alyssa was still seated at the table, trapped between it and the chair. I realized in that moment that I had her right where I wanted her. I gave her another peck on the cheek and delivered my line. Then, I closed in and kissed Alyssa right on the lips.

"Mmmm…." I heard her groan. Whether it was from surprise or the want to perform better as an actress is not for me to say. Nevertheless, she accepted my kiss graciously and without complaint. After a couple moments, I drew away. Then, I took my seat at the table and continued the scene as if nothing had happened. I was glad that I had snuck that kiss in. If nothing else, it would tell both Alyssa and myself what kissing each other was like. That one kiss might open the door for us to be even more comfortable than we had already become over the last three rehearsals, and in this one rehearsal alone.

* * *

The next week, we had no rehearsals. It was just as well. I had to work on an internship, and it involved helping out with, and supporting my brother in, a summer production of _Jesus Christ Superstar._

Nicola, Alyssa and I met Thursday the following week. I had decided that in this rehearsal, I was going to be more assertive. We were less than 3 weeks away from tech; the time for pussy-footing around had passed.

Alyssa resisted my attempts to kiss her at first, but I was persistent. Within a few minutes, she had accepted that we were at a turning point in the rehearsal process and became more receptive to my kisses. In our first run through, out of three that evening, we lip-locked probably half a dozen times. With Nicola's notes, we whittled it down to only 2 lip kisses, with the rest being in other various places.

As Alyssa and I became more comfortable, we laughed and joked. At one point I cracked about the kissing. She said, "Honey, teeth should not be used in kissing." I flushed, embarrassed. I had figured that the way to kiss Alyssa was to be open-mouthed. That was how they did it in films; it was passionate. I was also embarrassed because my experience with kissing was very limited.

After rehearsal, Alyssa walked to her car. I followed and caught up just as she was getting into it. I apologized for my kissing method and told her about my lack of experience. She sighed sympathetically.

"Honey, kissing is a difficult thing. But you don't have to go about it like you are French kissing. I've done that and almost gotten sore because people try and stick their tongues down my throat. It can be simple and still passionate. Like this."

And with that, she grabbed me by the shoulders and kissed me full on the mouth. Our lips remained closed and just pressed together. Ironically, it was the exact same way I had kissed Hannah so long ago. After a moment, she drew away. "See?"

I nodded. Then, we laughed and swapped stage kiss stories. The way Alyssa told it, she had done this many times before, and according to her, only one kiss had been considered a "good one." She suddenly kissed me again, hands still gripping my shoulders, our mouths still closed. I told her about my ultimately fake kiss in _All Shook Up_.

"So, like this?" I asked. Cupping her face in my hands, I leaned in and kissed her softly but firmly on the lips. I did not try and force her mouth open with my own; just closed-mouthed. We captured, released then captured and released our lips again for a moment before breaking apart. Alyssa smiled, and I could tell she had enjoyed my kiss. I had, too.

"Better," she murmured happily. She definitely approved. Then we said goodbye and said we would see each other at our next rehearsal that coming Tuesday.

* * *

From that point on, Alyssa and I were more comfortable with kissing. The two times we did it during the show was enough. Still, Alyssa would playfully try and avoid even these required lip-locks, though it was half-hearted.

However, Alyssa was quick to praise me on how I kissed her on other parts of her body, especially during the scene's opening exchange in bed. She always let that drag on a little longer as I would place feather-like pecks on her neck, ear, cheek and shoulders. According to her, I was a fantastic neck kisser. The lips were where I needed work.

After rehearsals, we would walk to her car and have kissing lessons. These, of course, were for my benefit. After one such rehearsal, I reached Alyssa after she had gotten into her car.

"What?" she asked, opening the car door.

"I forgot something," I said, setting my stuff down.

"What?"

I didn't answer as I grabbed her face and pressed my lips to her. When I pulled away, she smirked.

"You're still using too much teeth," was all she said about it.

"Oh come on, really?" I laughed. I kissed her on the lips again and then pulled back expectantly.

"Better," she approved.

"How do you open-mouth kiss?" I had blurted it out without thinking.

"What?" she asked, clearly not understanding.

"You know, the way they do it in films."

She waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about how they do it in films. What you just did is all we need for this show."

"Ok," I said. "Well, goodbye." I pulled her back to me and we shared a long kiss; the longest yet. I deepened the kiss by leaning into her, and I also snaked my one hand behind her neck to keep her in place, my fingers twisting into her long, blond hair. I captured and released her lips tenderly; I could not stop kissing her. Her lips were full and puffy and very enticing. I wagered that even if I could open-mouth kiss her, her lips were too full for me to adequately take into, and cover with, my mouth. At long last, we broke apart. I left her with a few affectionate pecks on her face.

"Alrighty," she said simply.

"Alright." I walked away.

A few minutes later, Alyssa's mom pulled up into the parking lot, ready for her rehearsal. Alyssa got out of her car and went to meet her. I met her mom, and she offered to help me with my plumber coveralls. We updated her on comp tickets and other tech details. Alyssa said nothing about the kissing lessons we had been sharing after rehearsals. Still, I was relieved. A few minutes faster, and Alyssa's mom just may have caught me intensely and openly kissing her daughter through her ajar car door.

* * *

We did not meet for the rest of the month. August rolled in overcast, rainy and chilly: not at all the "dog days of summer" that usually frequented North Carolina. We met as a cast the first Saturday of the new month; tech was that next week. Costume and other things were finalized. Little Things would be the first scene after intermission, since our set was so elaborate.

We ran the scene three times that day. Throughout, I sexually explored with Alyssa. At the end of the first scene, I wrapped my arms around her waist like normal... And then groped a bit lower. I cupped her bum boldly. It made perfect sense in the context of the scene, so Alyssa rolled with it, playfully slapping my hand away for being a naughty boy. Emboldened, during the second run-through, I approached our ending lip kiss the way I always did. I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her on the mouth. Alyssa's eyes closed as we kissed. Soon after, mine did, too. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her flush against me. Then my hands roamed. I ran my hand down along her butt and down near her thighs and between her legs, feeling and stroking her there lovingly. Alyssa squirmed in my embrace and firmly moved my hand back up. We broke apart suddenly. At notes, she told me half-stern, half-amused to not ass-grab her the second time; the first was enough and she totally agreed with. During the last-run through, I kept the butt- grab in the first scene, touching Alyssa in the same way as the aborted last one. After rehearsal, we walked to her car. I apologized for the un-called for second grab and she accepted it readily. She left for work quickly, but not before I stole one kiss from her as practice that she tolerated. I hope that I had not pushed my luck too far with her, and resolved to be more cautious going forward.

* * *

Tech was smoother than I thought it would be. I enjoyed our set, though it did call for some re-thinking of our blocking. We had a legit double bed, a working fridge and everything.

The ritual of kissing lessons after rehearsal had ceased. I couldn't, not now, with Alyssa's mom (in a scene herself) accompanying her daughter to rehearsal. Though, the practice did not disappear entirely. I still managed to always give Alyssa a kiss for luck, once we were lying in bed and places had been called. And from now on, I always cupped her bum and gave it a good squeeze during the opening scene, rather than run my hands down in between her legs and thighs.

The performances were a big success, and the audiences were most impressed.

After the last matinee and striking of the set, we met our neighbors at Noodle & Company for dinner to celebrate. My mom admitted to me that she had been thrown by my kiss with Alyssa, as I had not told her ahead of time. I had shared many kisses with Alyssa that summer, in fact, but kept silent. I could only think of the first one, on an afternoon in early July, trapped between table and chair.


	3. September 28th, 2014: Josephine

**September 28** **th** **, 2014: Josephine**

PLACE: Davidson, North Carolina

TIME: Sunday, 09/28/2014, 1:40 AM

KISSER: Josephine, aged 19

RECIPIENT: Matthew, aged 19

My third kiss happened a lot sooner than I expected. In fact, when I left that night, I had had no intention of kissing a girl at all.

That evening (which had technically been the previous evening of the 27th ),I had left to go out on the town. It was an interesting move for me; I rarely entered the party scene. Something about the drinking just didn't appeal to me, and, since there wasn't anything else to do on campus, I rarely went out on the weekends. The parties at F and the frat houses were pretty much the end all, be all if you wanted to have fun. On that particular night, it was the tail-end of what had been a long week of academics. I figured I deserved a break.

Almost three months had passed since I had experienced the first of many kisses with theatre co-star Alyssa. I did not expect another kiss to come my way for a long time. But, it was fate and luck that convinced me to go "down the hill" that night.

I wandered around aimlessly for a time until I ran into a bunch of Chorale friends. They dragged me along over to the main party that night on campus: THE America Party in Warner House. It took me a time to get used to the atmosphere, but eventually I got into it. I even got up on one of the mechanical-bullish tabletops used for crazy dancing and leadership for the crowd below. While up there, a girl joined us. Scantily clad, she had on short shorts and a red-white and blue bra bandana sash. She was very sweet and even caressed my face a little bit, which I enjoyed. Then again, I would later observe her doing this with all the other guys. Nevertheless, she was very sweet.

Finally the tightness of the atmosphere got to me, and I went out on to the back patio to get some cool night air. I spotted the girl sitting on the railing with another guy. It dawned on me that she had known my name while we had casually danced on the tapletop. Slightly embarrassed, I approached her and asked for her name. Josephine was the reply. She reminded me that we had been in a P.E. volleyball class together the previous fall and thus jogged my memory. Then, she suggested something totally unexpected.

"Why don't you DUUMO?" she asked.

"What?" I said, not recognizing the acronym.

"Dance Until You Make Out," she explained. "Go find a nice freshmen girl, get up behind her and start bumping and grinding. Pretty soon, she'll be all over you." I must not have looked entirely convinced, for she ran her hands along either side of my face. She was probably a master seductress. "Seriously. Go try it."

I nodded and proceeded to go back into the madhouse that was Warner Hall. Instantly, I ran into problems. It wasn't because of failed attempts at trying; in fact, I didn't try at all. It felt like an oven in there, and I could hardly see anyone, let alone hear them over the music. Plus, almost all the girls were taken. And, even if they weren't, there was something unethical (at least in my view) of going up behind a total stranger and digging your manhood into their ass without so much as asking for permission. I did eventually ask a Chorale friend to dance with her; but it was only the casual stuff.

Totally at a loss, I went back out on to the patio. I re-approached Josephine, who was still talking with her male pal.

"There are several problems with your theory," I reported, and began to list off all the obstacles I had observed. Josephine just smiled and shook her head.

"Come here," she grinned. When I didn't catch on right away, she grabbed my chin and pulled me forward, pressing her lips to mine softly. It was very fleeting, but then again, my kiss with Hannah had seemed that way and so had some of the many I had shared with Alyssa during _Little Things_.

Though I had never been kissed by someone (at least by someone who had taken the initiative), I rolled with it. I smirked. "Really?" I asked as if that wasn't good enough. I cupped her face in my hands and pulled her back to me, giving her a slightly longer kiss in return. It only dawned on me much later than it must have been really awkward for the other guy sitting right there, but I didn't really give a damn.

When Josephine and I broke apart, her smile was still there. I was amazed that she had actually let me do that.

"Shoo, shoo," she instructed softly. "Go find your freshman girl." I was aware that she had probably planted one on me out of pity, but a kiss was a kiss. As I have demonstrated, this doesn't happen every day.

I headed a short distance away, out of sight of Josephine. I noted the time. 1:40 in the morning. Holy smokes. This was the longest I had been at a Davidson party ever, at least of the few I had gone to. My roommate had gone to bed hours ago. Josephine mingled some more, caressing other boy's faces. I played with my phone, trying to act cool. I didn't intend to stay much longer, but I planned to thank Josephine and give her a kiss goodnight. If what had just happened was any indication, she would not refuse me.

Playing with my iPhone turned out to be a huge miscalculation. When I looked up, Josephine had disappeared. I scoured the patio and the inside of Warner Hall, trying to locate the girl with the American-colored bra sash, but she was gone. Thank God I had gotten her first name. But without a last name, how was I supposed to know who exactly she was? I might as well have kissed her while at a masquerade ball, a la Cinderella, for all I knew about her. I thought of the Prince in that story hollering, "I don't even know your name, please, how will I find you? Wait, please, wait!" and actually had to laugh.

The last name turned out to be less difficult than I thought. A quick Facebook search gave me a last name. One look at the profile picture and I knew it was her, golden locks in ringlets and all. Still, the last name was about all I could get. Without confirmed friendship, there was not much else I could go on, though through some good sleuthing I guessed she was probably a junior. I elected to not Facebook friend her just yet. Though I was sure that when I eventually did she would accept the request, I didn't want her to think I was stalking her or appear too eager. Then again, with caresses and kisses like that, she probably had all the rich asshole guys at KA and scores of others drooling after her like little lost puppies.

Still, I went to bed that night anxious. I hoped the chance would come where I would run into Josephine again. I at least wanted to thank her, even if that did not come with grabbing her and kissing her senseless, good and proper.

* * *

Later that same day, I uncovered a crucial piece of information. Josephine was in fact not a junior as I had tried to deduce from dates and locations of photos, but in fact my year – a sophomore. Who knew that kind of stuff could be so misleading? There was only one place that she could be living then: my very same building.

She was not on my floor, 4th North, even if the majority of the students on our co-ed hall were girls. That left 1st through 3rd North and 1st through 5th South as the floors where she could possibly be. Quick scans of the floors I passed every day told me she was not in North. She had to be somewhere on South. 5 floors. Trying to locate her would be difficult without raising any suspicions. But, I would do my best. I had to find her and thank her.

2nd, 4th and 5th South were all a bust. I temporarily abandoned my search after that so as not to be conspicuous. Still, the possibilities were down to 1st and 3rd. 3rd had had a Hello Kitty sticker on the door coming from the stairwell, which had indicated to me it was a girls hall. I would return later, when there were as not as many people in the lounge and slip to the other side with a book for studying. Every New Dorm floor had at least one longue for students to quietly study in. With that cover, I could conclude my search.

Then, came another boon. Josephine accepted my friend request soon after. With more information now at my fingertips, I confirmed that she was indeed on South. Close examinations of pictures told me that she was likely on 3rd, which I confirmed later.

* * *

I didn't get to see Josephine again until around sundown that evening. She was alone in her room. I thanked her for the night before. She appreciated it in a hoarse voice that clearly meant she was losing her voice. I admitted to her that I had never "made out" with anybody before, once again citing my lack of experience. If I was expecting her to respond the way Alyssa had, she didn't. Awkwardly, I took her face in my hands and made to kiss her, but she backed away. Needless to say, I was disappointed. Some of the conjectures I had formed last night got confirmed as Josephine explained why she did not want to kiss or even make out with me.

"I was drunk," she explained. "I was kissing everybody." I told her I understood, and that I hoped to see her around. Then, I left.


	4. September 25th, 2015: Sophie

**September 25** **th** **, 2015: Sophie**

PLACE: Davidson, North Carolina

TIME: Friday, 09/25/2015, 10:58 PM

KISSER: Sophie, aged 19

RECIPIENT: Matthew, aged 20

My fourth kiss happened with the exact opposite of whom I had expected, and in the strangest of circumstances.

That night had been the Theatre Semi-Formal. I had gone with a date, Kessler (who, in a strange twist of fate, was the same girl that I had danced with at Warner Hall just before kissing Josephine).

Almost a year to the day had passed since I shared a drunken kiss with Josephine.

Following pictures at the Cunnignham Theatre building and then dinner at Sabi's in downtown Davidson, the Theatre folk went back to the campus apartment of two senior girls. Most everyone started drinking. I abstained, though I did get to pour mixtures of apple juice, vodka, whipped cream and cinnamon into other people's mouths. I even witnessed girls sucking shots of vodka off of one guy's, Jacob's, bellybutton.

We then moved on to Spin the Bottle, which I knew to be a iconic kissing game but had never played before. Instead of staying strictly to the classic rulebook, however, people had to create a new rule if the bottle fell on them. Some did involve kissing – and in two cases, full-blown make-out sessions (one boy-girl and another girl on girl). At one point, the bottle fell on a guy named Sam, who was standing next to me in the circle. At a loss for a rule, he simply ordered everyone to find someone in the room to kiss. We entered the circle and began searching for partners.

I did not have much luck. I saw girls kissing each other just to avoid having to do it with a guy, but no guys on guys. When people began to dissipate back to the perimeter, I still had not found a partner. "What about me?" I asked the room at large. "I haven't found anyone yet!"

As I turned around to give up, Sophie strode over to me, took my face in her hands, and kissed me on the mouth. It was very brief, and probably my clumsiest kiss to date – our lips just touched. "There," she said simply when we broke the kiss only a second later. The game resumed, but not before I subtly noted the time. I would have to do everything from wearing my boxers over my slacks to switching these undergarments with other people to wearing girls' bras – one of those bras being that of my date's!

Interestingly, I barely knew Sophie. We had only met literally a week earlier when we were assigned to the same group for the Theatre Department's Five Hour Play Festival.

But the night didn't end there. It got even stranger. No, not in a dangerous kind of way. And, no, I didn't kiss anyone else. But, we played more games that put ourselves out there. Nobody else seemed to mind – save for me, they were all drunk to various degrees. We sat in a circle and played games like Never Have I Ever and Fuck Yeah I Have. Almost all of the admissions people gave were sexual in nature. People talked about having sex/hooking up in a car, on a bus, in a library, on an airplane, in an empty theatre, in a room with other people present…Because I was a virgin, I had to say things like "Fuck yeah I have never had sex with anyone" and "Fuck yeah, I have never made out without anyone ever." I even admitted that I had wanted my first time to be with someone present in the room. The only person who seemed to support me was one of the party's hosts, Brooke. She was a sweet girl who I secretly had a crush on, but I couldn't do anything about it because she had a steady boyfriend. It made me feel kind of embarrassed to see that, except for Brooke (and, likely, by extension, her boyfriend Cy), I had no sexual experiences to my name.

Finally, when most people were starting to leave, I did too. No point for me to stay. I thanked my date, Kessler, for the evening, but did not make any moves. We had gone as friends anyway.

Comparing this kiss to the other three I had experienced, it was certainly the most lackluster. And, since Sophie was probably at least tipsy when she had kissed me, I resolved that it was the least exciting of the two "drunken" kisses I had now had.


	5. November 6th, 2015: Mariam

**November 6** **th** **, 2015: Mariam**

PLACE: Cornelius, North Carolina

TIME: Friday, 11/06/2015, 9:17 PM

KISSER: Mariam, aged 17

RECIPIENT: Matthew, aged 20

My fifth kiss occurred in a very similar fashion to my fourth. Only six weeks had passed since my clumsy kiss with Sophie Rae McHugh.

Once again, the occasion was a Theatre Department party: this time, a cast party to celebrate our recently concluded Fall production. Though there were rules about letting those in the cast have some time to themselves, both cast and non-cast members arrived at roughly the same time at Kaylin's place. She was a 25-year old alum, coming back to finish her degree after working on set design in Florida for a time.

Onto my kissing partner: Mariam had been in the fall show and had had one of the leading parts – a pretty nice feat, especially for an entering freshman. I remembered being quite taken with her performance. On this particular night, she was dressed in a provocative way: low cut dress, simple top. I thought she looked quite sexy.

Anyway, just before the party was to start, Collin, Jacob and I hitched a ride with Brooke to Kaylin's place. I was grateful for the lift and thought Brooke was a trooper for driving us there: especially since she had just arrived back from picking up her sister, Livvy, at her school – about two hours drive away. Livvy would be spending the weekend in town. We all piled in to Brooke's car and off we went to Cornelius.

The party was not nearly as raucous as the one Brooke and Clarisse had hosted in their apartment after the Semi-Formal. Probably because there were less people there, but also because we were in a pretty nice pad: Kaylin had made bank during her job stint in Florida. Desserts and drinks were served: as always, I laughed at myself for being an "old fogey" and opted for water instead.

After losing every hand at Cards Against Humanity and getting my ass kicked on Super Mario Smash Brothers on the Wii, I handed my controller off to Collin and went back downstairs. A small group of my friends were just sitting down around the coffee table.

"Who wants to play?" someone called out.

"What are we playing?" I asked.

"Spin the Bottle, Make a Rule."

Remembering this as the same game that had landed me my kiss with Sophie, I agreed and knelt around the coffee table. There were about eight of us: myself, Caroline, Hannah L., Jacob, Theo, Savannah, Anna Mei, and Mariam. I knelt at a corner of the table flanked by Hannah and Mariam.

The game began. The rounds were innocent enough: taking off one article of clothing, wearing your shoes on your hands, etc. I got a good laugh when we were ordered to rub our hands sensuously through each other's hair. Mariam did it for me, and it felt nice. I laughed even more when Theo ordered everyone to give me a shoulder massage for the rest of the game.

At last, the bottle fell to me. I thought long and hard for a rule before giving up and copping out for the tried and true: "Kiss the person you are sitting the closest to." It was ambiguous, but not as complicated as saying "to the left or right" or something like that – that would have meant everyone would have had to kiss at least two people and would have been very confusing. Also I knew that this way, I would get a kiss from Mariam, since she was sitting closer to me than Hannah. Nobody seemed to mind. It was easy for boyfriend and girlfriend Theo and Savannah, who gave each other a light peck. Then, there was me. For all intents and purposes, Mariam made the first move – making her the kisser and me the recipient – even though we turned to each other at approximately the same time. I didn't notice anyone else comply with my rule before Mariam took my face in her hands. I held her face also, as we leaned in and kissed each other on the lips chastely.

Mariam's lips were soft and warm. Nobody had gotten super drunk yet, so her kiss wasn't as clumsy as Sophie's had been, nor as brief. She was a good kisser - I would have probably ranked it up alongside my kiss with Josephine and the many kisses I had shared with Alyssa. We broke apart with a smile. Some of the others, meanwhile, were just finishing up. Hannah, to my right, abstained from having to kiss Jacob and asked Anna Mei to do it for her. The latter obliged, but only by giving Jacob a kiss on the cheek.

"Wait, none of you guys kissed on the mouth? You're such p***ies!" Mariam laughingly scolded – which wasn't really fair, since she had probably been too busy locking lips with me to realize Theo and Savannah had done the same as a couple.

Soon after that, though, the game dissipated, people moving on to other things. There had been few of us, anyhow. We moved on to Slap Drinking, where I only watched, and then roasted marshmallows at the fire pit outside. Brooke, Livvy, Collin and I were some of the last to leave, around 11 PM – just in time for the nightlife upon our return to campus.

Of my now three "party kisses," my one with Mariam was probably the best, with Josephine's a close second. I only hoped for more Spin the Bottle opportunities so I could no longer have to count my number of kisses on one hand.


	6. March 24th, 2016: Savannah

**March 24th, 2016: Savannah**

PLACE: Davidson, North Carolina

TIME: Thursday, 3/24/2016, 11:15 PM (first kiss), 11:46 PM (kissed again)

KISSER: Matthew, aged 21

RECIPIENT: Savannah, aged 19

That March evening set the record for the closest time I have ever had between two kisses, and my number of total kisses nearly doubled. In just over half an hour, I kissed four girls – three of them in roughly ten minutes flat, and one of them twice! I thus netted my sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and (technically) tenth kisses with women.

That night was the night before Spring Break and the night of the cast parties for the Spring shows. We held the shindig at Rachel's apartment just across the street from campus (more on her in a minute). I got all my kisses from – you guessed it – Spin the Bottle, Make a Rule. By that time, everyone was super drunk, save me, and all had their shirts off. The latter did include me, the having the shirt off, I mean – and before the night was over, I would be stripped down to my boxer shorts besides! Other rules would include grinding, air humping – neither of which I was very good at, and frankly my dog was probably more skilled in those arenas.

Anyway, just as I entered the game, someone called out a rule – I can't remember who it was exactly – saying to kiss somebody across the circle. For me, that turned out to be Savannah, a sophomore who I knew well and had had several classes with. She balked at first, but I was persistent. She finally gave me a clumsy, chaste peck on the lips. It wasn't as clumsy as the kiss I'd had with Sophie six months prior, but it was just as short.

Half an hour later, we were still playing. This time, the bottle fell to me. I called for everyone to make out with the person to the left of him or her. For me, that happened to be Savannah. I had seen people truly make out throughout the evening – both in the game and out - and wanted to know what it felt like. Sadly, I was to be disappointed. Savannah kissed me again, and this time it was slightly more sustained, but she did not open her mouth to me or use tongue. Still, I was having the time of my life.


	7. March 24th, 2016: Rachel

**March 24** **th** **, 2016: Rachel**

PLACE: Davidson, North Carolina

TIME: Thursday, 3/24/2016, 11:18 PM

KISSER: Matthew, aged 21

RECIPIENT: Rachel, aged 21

The night did not end with my kiss with Savannah. Before I could even turn around, the bottle fell to me for the first time. At a loss and wanting more kisses, I repeated the rule I had heard just three minutes earlier, with a qualifier of my own: kiss a person of the opposite sex who is across the circle from you. I intended to kiss Savannah again, but she grabbed another guy before I got the chance. Little did I know it, but I would get her again later. I chose the next best thing – the girl to the right of her, graduating senior Rachel. Like Savannah, we shared a chaste kiss on the lips, though it was not clumsy. I would get better as the night wore on.


	8. March 24th, 2016: Ashley

**March 24** **th** **, 2016: Ashley**

PLACE: Davidson, North Carolina

TIME: Thursday, 3/24/2016, 11: 25 PM

KISSER: Matthew, aged 21

RECIPIENT: Ashley, aged 18

Seven minutes after my kiss with Rachel, we students were still going at it. But Ashley would earn the distinction of the being the first person I kissed who I didn't already somewhat know.

I had met her earlier that night, and saw that she was friendly with my good friend Colin. Like me, she was a Theatre minor. She hailed from up North and was good friends with two of my classmates in Chorale, mentioning that both the girls in question had spoken highly of me, for she recognized my name when Colin introduced me to her.

Anyway, we were still deeply involved in the game. The bottle fell to me again. Knowing that the rule was entirely in my control and that I therefore had an advantage, I glanced around. Colin was to the direct left of me, and next to him, Ashley. I knew what I wanted to do. Besides, it would change things up a bit, right? So I announced, "Kiss the person who is two places to the left of you" knowing it would guarantee a kiss with Ashley.

However, I had forgotten to guard against the natural confusion of this instruction the way I had with Mariam back in the fall. For everyone to follow the rule, each person would have to kiss twice – once as the kisser, and once as the person being kissed. Not even bothering to see who would have to kiss me and not caring (no one ultimately ever did before the game continued), I approached Ashley. She giggled, embarrassed and shyly said, "Hi" before we both leaned in and kissed each other softly. By now, I had gotten more adept at the kissing and our lips captured and released tenderly. It was chaste, like all the others had been and would be, but if I had to rank the ones from that night, hers was the best. We broke apart smiling.


	9. March 24th, 2016: Kate

**March 24** **th** **, 2016: Kate**

PLACE: Davidson, North Carolina

TIME: Thursday, 3/24/2016, 11: 43 PM

KISSER: Matthew, aged 21

RECIPIENT: Kate, aged 22

After my kiss with Ashley, I went cold for a time. But I would get another shot in before the night was out. The bottle eventually fell on a girl named Gale. About as bad at making rules up as I was, she simply told us to kiss someone who was not in the circle.

I looked around. I didn't have very many options girls-wise, and there was no one left whom I was dying to get a kiss out of. I chose the most appealing of the bunch – Kate – and approached her by the window looking into the kitchen counter. I explained the situation, and she let me kiss her once gently. Again, it was simple, which I was starting to get sad about. Whether in or out of the game, it seemed that everybody had had a hot and heavy make-out session with someone except for me. And even when people were ordered to, as Savannah would have to again just three minutes later, she wouldn't give me a long, passionate, open-mouthed session with tongue.


	10. May 11th, 2017: Elizabeth

**May 11** **th** **, 2017: Elizabeth**

PLACE: F205; Davidson, North Carolina

TIME: Thursday, 5/11/2017, 10:40 PM

KISSER: Matthew, aged 22

RECIPIENT: Elizabeth, aged 21

It was right before exams. The Theatre Department was having its last party of the year. Most of the night had been competitive activities. I was about to leave for the night when I heard cheering from the apartment. Curious, I went back inside.

I saw kids kissing and realized we were playing Spin the Bottle. I eagerly pushed my way into the ring. When it finally was my turn to spin, I landed on Elizabeth, a friend I'd known since freshmen year. We kissed chastely.

413 days had passed since my last kiss. That's equivalent to 9,912 hours or 594,720 minutes.


	11. May 11th, 2017: Sophie

**May 11** **th** **, 2017: Sophie**

PLACE: F205; Davidson, North Carolina

TIME: Thursday, 5/11/2017, 10:43 PM

KISSER: Matthew, aged 22

RECIPIENT: Sophie, aged 21

Pretty soon, the group upped the ante from just kisses to full-blown makeout sessions. It would start with 5 seconds, before gradually going up to 7, then 10, then 12 as the night progressed.

My first land was on Sophie, who I had kissed at a party almost two years before and once had a crush on. We ran into each other's arms and began to make out.

It was hot. I had never made out with anyone before. Our lips battled for dominance and even our teeth grinded together as folks chanted down "5…..4…..3…..2….1….." We broke apart smiling.

Then, when Sophie spun not even a minute later, it fell on me and we made out again. I wrapped my arms around her and closed my eyes a little. My mouth dug deep into hers.

Sophie pulled away after the 5 seconds. "Don't open your mouth so much," she advised. "Keep it closed."

3 minutes had passed since my kiss with Elizabeth.


	12. May 11th, 2017: Blake

**May 11** **th** **, 2017: Blake**

PLACE: F205; Davidson, North Carolina

TIME: Thursday, 5/11/2017, 10:45 PM (twice); 11:09 PM (full-blown make-out)

KISSER: Matthew, aged 22

RECIPIENT: Blake, age unknown

The game was still going strong. About two minutes after my make-out sessions with Sophie, a girl who I knew only as Blake spun the bottle so that it landed on me. We began to make-out for five seconds. Then, within the same minute, I spun so that it fell on Blake again. We made out once more for five seconds. I noted that she was just as good a kisser as Sophie.

2 minutes had passed since my make-outs with Sophie.

Then, later, right after the game ended, I saw Blake making out with another girl. I went up to her and joked, "Oh come now, Blake, I can do better!"

She laughed and then smirked. "You want to try?"

Pleased that she did not brush me off, we began to full-blown make-out. This time, it went on for about a minute. I forced her mouth open with my own, our teeth scraping together and battling for dominance. I even think I managed to slip my tongue into her mouth. A moment later, she pulled away.

"I'm sorry," she laughed. "I do a lot better with girls!"

Then, she resumed making out with Gale on the couch.


	13. May 11th, 2017: Gale

**May 11** **th** **, 2017: Gale**

PLACE: F205; Davidson, North Carolina

TIME: Thursday, 5/11/2017, 10:48 PM

KISSER: Matthew Harvey, aged 22

RECIPIENT: Gale Linares, aged 21

Not long after, I spun the bottle so that it landed on Gale. She seemed reluctant at first, but I was enthusiastic. "Come on!" I coached her. So we made out for five seconds, followed by cheers.

It was 3 minutes after my make-out sessions with Blake.


	14. May 11th, 2017: Hannah

**May 11** **th** **, 2017: Hannah**

PLACE: F205; Davidson, North Carolina

TIME: Thursday, 5/11/2017, 10:59 PM

KISSER: Matthew, aged 22

RECIPIENT: Hannah, aged 20

I went cold for a while after my make-out with Gale. But soon, the bottle fell on me after Hannah spun it. We made out for five seconds. By this time, my neck was starting to hurt a little, but I felt I had improved in my make-out technique.

11 minutes had passed since my make-out with Gale.


End file.
